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This dish is a simple, healthy flavour bomb. It takes just minutes to cook, gives you a good serve of greens and is absolutely loaded with garlic and umami to have your tastebuds dancing. It really shows you what a little dressing can do to make an ordinary side dish extraordinary!

This garlic anchovy crumb can be used to dress many things but goes particularly well with slightly bitter greens. To get the most out of it you want uneven breadcrumbs: some chunky for crunch and some finer to soak in the flavoured oils from your pan. These aren’t so easy to buy, but they are very easy to make yourself. Just take a stale end of a loaf, dried in a very low oven if need be, cut off any crust that’s too hard and chop roughly. If it’s dry enough it will naturally break up into some finer pieces too, if not give some chunks a few pulses in a small food processor to break them down further.

The key to the kale itself is quick cooking. Like most fresh vegetables if you overcook it you lose the flavour and are left with only the bitterness. Try to buy younger kale if you can: with thinner tender stems that you can keep as part of the dish. If your bunch has thick stems you may need to trim them out (you can always use these trimmings in a soup or stock).

Sautéed Kale with Garlic Anchovy Crumb

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 4-6 (as a side)

A simple, healthy flavour bomb!

Ingredients

1 bunch kale, washed, trimmed and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

For the crumb:

1/3 cup rough breadcrumbs (make your own if you can)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 anchovy fillet, finely diced/mashed

pinch of salt

Instructions

To make the crumb: heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan or wok over a medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and toss for 1 minute so they coat with oil and begin to colour.

Add the garlic, anchovy and salt and continue cooking, stirring constantly until the crumbs are golden and fragrant. (Take care not to burn the garlic.) Set aside and wipe out the pan.

Heat a fresh tablespoon of oil in the pan and add the kale. Sauté, tossing constantly, until just cooked (it only takes 1-2 minutes).

To serve: spread the kale in a bowl and scatter the crumb over the top (so it stays crispy!).